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ORNGE helicopter crash: Four crew dead in air ambulance accident near Moosonee

Was there a malfunction? Was human error involved? Why did it take so long to reach a crash scene so seemingly near?

There will be questions in the days and months ahead following the loss of four crew aboard an ORNGE air ambulance helicopter that went down without warning shortly after a midnight takeoff Friday from Moosonee en route to Attiwapiskat, where a patient was waiting for transport.

This weekend will be about remembering those lost.

Capt. Don Filliter of Skead, Ont., 54, was an experienced, well-known pilot in the helicopter world, and a very special father with an “ability to see good in any possible situation,” said his daughter, Michelle, a Timmins firefighter.

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Paramedic Chris Snowball, 38, of Burlington was well-known in the James Bay area and had also worked as an emergency caregiver in Nova Scotia, where he was a volunteer firefighter. He leaves his wife and three children.

Fellow paramedic Dustin Dagenais, 34, of Moose Factory, Ont., was a new father who loved his wife, and “life and would light up any room,” said a friend.

First officer Jacques Dupuy, 43, an experienced bush pilot from Otterburn-Park, Que., leaves behind a wife and two children.

“I wish to express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of each of these four individuals,” said ORNGE president and CEO Dr. Andy McCallum.

“Their lives were lost in serving the public, and we owe a deep debt of gratitude.”

The four lifted off from the Moosonee airport aboard a Sikorsky S76 helicopter, built in 1980 and, according to ORNGE Chief Operation Officer Rob Giguere, regularly maintained.

The crew’s last voice contact was just before liftoff, Giguere said at a Friday news conference.

The helicopter’s last radio signal came shortly after, at 12:11 am.

Weather data from Environment Canada shows it was 3C at midnight at the Moosonee airport, and the sky overcast but with a decent visibility of 16 kilometres.

There was also a light rain at the time of takeoff, said Giguere, who added “there is no indication what caused the accident.” McCallum said the weather was “adequate” for flying.

According to the Ontario Provincial Police, the helicopter crashed in dense bush 850 metres from the airport. Police said witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke. The area is accessible only by foot and the OPP and Ministry of Natural Resources were working Friday to find a landing zone.

However, a spokesperson from CFB Trenton put the crash scene at “about two miles” from the airport. Military crews managed to parachute into the scene shortly after day break Friday, Capt. Keith Hoey told the Star.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton tasked a Hercules transport aircraft and Griffon helicopter with the rescue mission at 1:33 a.m. The two aircraft departed Trenton at 3 a.m. The Hercules arrived about two hours later and at 6:20 a.m., four search-and-rescue technicians parachuted to the crash scene.

The Griffon had to stop for fuel in Timmins, where poor weather forced it to remain. Because it was not needed at the scene, it has since returned to Trenton.

It was unclear late Friday whether there was any hope of saving anyone’s life.

Military search-and-rescue responders are on 30-minute readiness during the day and two hours at other times. Opposition MPs in Ottawa have long protested what they call “banker’s hours.”

In response to those concerns, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said last month he would be “encouraging” rescue crews to work flexible hours during times of high demand, like fishing seasons.

Two of the six other Sikorsky S76 helicopters ORNGE uses had been taken out of service for checks, said Giguere. All of the crew were “very experienced.”

“I know talking to him, he always said he was one of those guys that would stick up for the person that was not so popular or the guy getting picked on. He was probably one of the nicest guys I ever knew.”

It’s unclear what equipment and instruments the Sikorsky that crashed Friday was kitted out with but a ground proximity warning system is considered standard. Most “controlled flight into terrain” accidents happen upon landing.

Paramedic Chris Snowball, 38, of Burlington was well-known in the James Bay area and had also worked as an emergency caregiver in Nova Scotia, where he was a volunteer firefighter. He leaves his wife and three children.

Fellow paramedic Dustin Dagenais, 34, of Moose Factory, Ont., was a new father who loved his wife, and “life and would light up any room,” said a friend.

First officer Jacques Dupuy, 43, an experienced bush pilot from Otterburn-Park, Que., leaves behind a wife and two children.

“I wish to express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of each of these four individuals,” said ORNGE president and CEO Dr. Andy McCallum.

“Their lives were lost in serving the public, and we owe a deep debt of gratitude.”

The four lifted off from the Moosonee airport aboard a Sikorsky S76 helicopter, built in 1980 and, according to ORNGE Chief Operation Officer Rob Giguere, regularly maintained.

The crew’s last voice contact was just before liftoff, Giguere said at a Friday news conference.

The helicopter’s last radio signal came shortly after, at 12:11 am.

Weather data from Environment Canada shows it was 3C at midnight at the Moosonee airport, and the sky overcast but with a decent visibility of 16 kilometres.

There was also a light rain at the time of takeoff, said Giguere, who added “there is no indication what caused the accident.” McCallum said the weather was “adequate” for flying.

According to the Ontario Provincial Police, the helicopter crashed in dense bush 850 metres from the airport. Police said witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke. The area is accessible only by foot and the OPP and Ministry of Natural Resources were working Friday to find a landing zone.

However, a spokesperson from CFB Trenton put the crash scene at “about two miles” from the airport. Military crews managed to parachute into the scene shortly after day break Friday, Capt. Keith Hoey told the Star.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton tasked a Hercules transport aircraft and Griffon helicopter with the rescue mission at 1:33 a.m. The two aircraft departed Trenton at 3 a.m. The Hercules arrived about two hours later and at 6:20 a.m., four search-and-rescue technicians parachuted to the crash scene.

The Griffon had to stop for fuel in Timmins, where poor weather forced it to remain. Because it was not needed at the scene, it has since returned to Trenton.

It was unclear late Friday whether there was any hope of saving anyone’s life.

Military search-and-rescue responders are on 30-minute readiness during the day and two hours at other times. Opposition MPs in Ottawa have long protested what they call “banker’s hours.”

In response to those concerns, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said last month he would be “encouraging” rescue crews to work flexible hours during times of high demand, like fishing seasons.

Concerns have also been raised about the Griffon helicopter. It’s been deemed “inferior” for search-and-rescue work.

“The helicopter is too small for certain SAR missions and cannot reach remote sites in northern Ontario and Quebec without refueling,” according to a spring report by the auditor general.

“Nonetheless, the air force plans to continue using the Griffon for SAR (search and rescue) in Trenton as a temporary solution,” the report said.

The air force had more capable search-and-rescue choppers, the Cormorants, based in Trenton but in 2005 they were relocated to bases on the east and west coasts.

Moosonee is 830 kilometres from Trenton.

The Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the crash and the Canadian Auto Workers union will also be involved, said CAW president Ken Lewenza.

“We are in full gear in the area as we speak,” Lewenza told the Star Friday.

What is clear is that the crew was both experienced and familiar with the area. The flight was to have taken them their Moosonee base to Attawapiskat, 220 kilometres northwest, where a patient was waiting for transport on the native reserve, which is set inland from James Bay.

A fixed-wing aircraft was instead standing by Friday, waiting for weather to clear, to transport the patient.

Two of the six other Sikorsky S76 helicopters ORNGE uses had been taken out of service for checks, said Giguere. All of the crew were “very experienced.”

ORNGE is otherwise operating as normal, using its fleet of fixed-wing aircraft, its other helicopters and its partner carriers to service the province.

“Four people dedicated to saving the lives of others have lost their own lives. They are true heroes, as are their fellow front line paramedics and pilots, who are committed to working hard every day to provide care to our loved ones,” said Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews.

“All the people of Ontario share in their grief.”

Many ORNGE employees added a black band to the company’s logo on their Facebook pages.

Filliter’s daughter, Michelle, 22, said her father was very special and she will miss “his ability to see the good in any possible situation, which was pretty inspiring for everyone.”

She said she last saw her father about a week ago when he stopped by to say hello. Michelle, who was at the family home in Skead, is the eldest of three siblings, with two brothers aged 19 and 13. Filliter also leaves behind his wife Suzanne.

Snowball had worked at Wabusk Air ambulance for four years before taking a leave of absence to work at ORNGE, the company told the Star.

Dagenais was married to Josée Cousineau, a teacher in Moose Factory, and had an infant child.

“He was a person that would go out there for anybody,” a colleague of Dagenais told the aboriginal news service APTN.

“I know talking to him, he always said he was one of those guys that would stick up for the person that was not so popular or the guy getting picked on. He was probably one of the nicest guys I ever knew.”

At Dagenais’ home in Moosonee, a friend said people are concerned about his wife and his family, APTN reported.

He was born and raised in Kapuskasing. He had been posted to the Moosonee base for about five years, the colleague said.

Condolences poured in to Dagenais’s Facebook page and on Twitter.

Daniel Chilton, a locum nurse at Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, said, “Will miss ya lots buddy. The loss of a great man and father. Many sympathies to your family and to Josée in this hard time.”

“Everybody at ORNGE is deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives,” said McCallum.

“We will do whatever we can to support them at this difficult time. We will also co-operate fully with the authorities charged (with) investigating the accident.”

In February 2008, four ORNGE crew aboard a Sikorsky S76-A helicopter survived a night-time crash near Temagami. They were on a mission to transport a critically injured patient, the ORNGE annual report says.

That crash was determined to have been a “controlled flight into terrain” accident involving visual disorientation in complete darkness. The aircraft was equipped with an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS).

The four, two pilots and two paramedics were rescued from the site and taken to hospital for treatment, three of them with serious injuries, according to an accident report.

It’s unclear what equipment and instruments the Sikorsky that crashed Friday was kitted out with but a ground proximity warning system is considered standard. Most “controlled flight into terrain” accidents happen upon landing.

Political leaders offered their condolences.

“The pilots and paramedics of ORNGE provide life-saving services in every region of this province and my thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of these brave individuals,” said Premier Kathleen Wynne.

“Their service and sacrifice will be honoured and remembered,” she said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement on Twitter: “Condolences to the families of the four victims of the northern Ontario air ambulance crash last night. You are in my thoughts and prayers.”

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a statement: “My thoughts, and the thoughts of New Democrats, are with the families. The pilots and paramedics at ORNGE are professionals dedicated to saving the lives of others and the death of the two pilots and two paramedics in their line of duty is tragic.”

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